FIFA Threatens Indonesia With Suspension Following Row Between Two Football Bodies

The indefinite suspension of Indonesian football from int'l tournaments "is now beckoning," with FIFA "sounding its impatience with Indonesia’s rift-ridden" football leagues, according to Mustaqim Adamrah of the JAKARTA POST. The governing body said that it will "likely impose sanctions" on Indonesian football "following an unresolved spat" between two rivaling football organizations. In a letter sent to Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke said the current situation "has come to the point where conflicts between the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and the Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee (KPSI) have gotten out of hand, and a joint committee consisting of representatives from both parties has made no significant progress." The joint committee has been given until Monday "to resolve the key issues concerning the presence" of two football federations, two football leagues and the PSSI statutes. Valcke also said in the letter: "Unfortunately yet again, it seems that the set objectives will not be reached and we, therefore, anticipate that the PSSI will be sanctioned" (JAKARTA POST, 12/5). In Jakarta, Ami Afriatni noted after a meeting with the minister, PSSI Chair Djohar Arifin Husin said that he was "astonished that FIFA would impose a sanction on his organization." Djohar added, "The PSSI is an official member of FIFA and we’ve been disturbed by another party outside the PSSI. I hope FIFA can see reality in Indonesia. PSSI didn’t violate a single article in FIFA’s statute, we also gave our full support to the reconciliation process" (JAKARTA GLOBE, 12/5). REUTERS wrote "any suspension would jeopardise Indonesia's participation" in the 2015 Asian Cup qualifying tournament, which begins in February (REUTERS, 12/6).